Blacker Than Coal
by chilledmochi
Summary: The solemn voice he had heard echoing from the pool was joined by dozens more, and even though he couldn't see any cats in the thick black water, he could feel sleek pelts brush against his own. "A darkness blacker than coal will fall over the clans, beware the outsider with blood on their paws."
1. Prologue

**so i've had this idea in my head for a really long time, and tried once before to post it on FF, but didn't have the inspiration to keep writing. though now i'm going to try again and hopefully keep it going. c:**

 **enjoy~!**

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 **Prologue**

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"Are you ready?"

The sudden voice in the still silence of the night caused the apprentice to jump slightly, but he forced his fur to lie flat as he got to his paws and swallowed nervously. The jagged peaks surrounding Mothermouth sent shadows stretching out over the two cats, sending uneasy shivers through his pelt. But if he was going to become a warrior, he couldn't let a few shadows and an old dark cave frighten him. He turned to his mentor, bright yellow eyes glowing faintly in the dark as he nodded firmly, pushing his silly fears to the back of his mind.

"Follow me then, it'll be dark so keep right on my tail." The older tom turned, and with a flick of his tail, vanished into the shadows of the tunnel.

Not wanting to be left behind, he hurried after his mentor, nearly tripping over his own paws when the darkness suddenly engulfed him. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he blindly followed his mentor's familiar scent, nerves causing his tail to twitch and his breaths to come in short gasps.

The rock beneath his paws was smooth, and he felt his whiskers brush up against the walls on either side of him. The thought of getting trapped and suffocating in the dark passed through his mind, sending shivers up his spine. Though before he could linger on those thoughts, a light breeze brushed against his whiskers, and he tasted the air, picking up the fresh scent of grass and rabbits. _There must be an opening somewhere ahead._

That thought eased his jangled nerves, and he took a deep breath to steady himself.

"This is it, the cave of the Moonstone." His mentor meowed ahead of him, and the two of them stepped into a larger area, scarcely lit from starlight that shone down from a small hole in the roof of the cave. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes the dim light, his pelt quivering with excitement and nervousness. So much for trying to stay calm.

As he stood there in the dark, and the time crawled past, he began to wonder if something was wrong, but his worry was cut short by a bright light that suddenly flooded through the hole in the roof, illuminating a large crystal in the center of the cave.

" _That's_ the Moonstone?" His voice was breathy as he gazed in awe at the moonlit stone, watching the glimmering surface that seemed to capture all of Silverpelt.

His mentor nodded, whiskers twitching in amusement. "Now, touch your nose to the stone and share tongues with StarClan."

With a wordless nod, he padded the few tail-lengths to the stone and settled on his belly, feeling the cold seeping into his thick fur from the floor. He hesitated for a moment before he closed his eyes and stretched out his neck, touching the bright stone with his nose.

.

When he opened his eyes again, he expected to see the starry forms of his ancestors surrounding him, or at least prey-filled fields and gurgling rivers.

What he found, was a small, still pond surrounded on all sides by trees and bushes, closing him and the pond off from the rest of the world.

Even as he stood there, the trees were still and silent. Not a single breeze ruffled the many leaves on their branches. And strain as he might, he couldn't hear prey scuttling among the shrubs and roots. Even the pool was unmoving, it's surface glassy and unchanging.

"Hello?" He called out, his fur starting to prickle uncomfortably. _Where am I? Where are the ancestors?_

 _"...darkness..."_

The grave whisper tickled ears and he turned towards the pool, eyes widening in something akin to fear. "Is someone there?"

 _"...outsider…"_

He placed one paw towards the pool, hesitated, then padded cautiously towards the pool's edge in confusion. The voice seemed to be coming from the water, but that was just crazy...right?

He noticed something was different when he gazed down into the still watery depths. Though by the time it took him to realize the water was black, it was too late.

With a sharp tug, he was pulled into the black water. He tried to struggle, but was unable to move as he was swallowed in darkness. It was different from walking into the Mothermouth. There it was cold and dark, but he could feel the rock under his paws and sense his mentor close in front of him.

Now he had no control over his body as he sunk deeper and deeper into the black water. The light had faded, leaving nothing but complete darkness. He felt suffocated, but at the same time he didn't need to breathe. The water around him became thicker, and warmer, until it felt like he was drowning in blood.

The solemn voice he had heard echoing from the pool was joined by dozens more, and even though he couldn't see any cats in the thick black water, he could feel sleek pelts brush against his own.

 _A darkness blacker than coal will fall over the clans, beware the outsider with blood on their paws._

The voices continued to echo around him, though the bodies of the unseen cats started to gently push him upwards. The blood-like black water started to disperse, becoming cool, clean, and blue.

No longer surrounded by darkness, he could see the dozens of ancient, starry cats that swam gracefully around him. Their pelts glistened in the calm water, and their all-knowing eyes were filled with stars as they gazed steadily at him.

It was a beautiful sight, one that replaced the gut wrenching fear he had felt only moments earlier with soothing reassurance. As soon as his head broke the surface of the pond, he found himself with a jolt back in the cave of the Moonstone.

"Welcome back."

He twisted around at the meow, nearly crying out in relief when he saw the familiar face of his mentor.

"Troutwhisker! I was in this weird place, and then there was this pool-"

He stopped his frantic explanation when the older tom flicked a tail across his muzzle. "There's no need to speak about it."

"But-"

Troutwhisker shook his head, gazing down at him sternly. "Only medicine cats share what StarClan tells them, keep what you've learned to yourself."

His shoulders slumped in defeat, not knowing what to do with the information he was given. How could he keep what sounded like a terrible prophecy from everyone?

 _Why didn't StarClan share this with Minnowfin? Or any other medicine cat? Why me?_

He followed his mentor out of the cave, his head low and his mind muddled. The way out felt longer than the way in, and the blackness that he had grown accustomed to before now only felt unsettling. The dark seemed to press in on him, and the memory of the black water had him quicken his pace until he was barreling through the tunnel, nearly running over his mentor in his haste to get out.

He burst out of the cave with a sharp gasp, ignoring the look Troutwhisker sent him as he stood outside Mothermouth. With every breath he allowed his shaking legs to still and his fur to lay flat.

And as he calmed himself, the strange, eerie prophecy circled in his mind as he turned his gaze upwards into the stars. His eyes narrowed and he unsheathed his claws, letting them scrape against the rocks and steeling his nerves.

 _No matter what darkness befalls the clans, I'll protect RiverClan with my life. No outsider will ever get past me, not without feeling the wrath my claws._

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 **and there's the prologue! chapter one will be posted soon, if not immediately, haha.**

 **well anyway, i'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to leave a review!**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	2. Chapter 1

**here's chapter one, as promised :3**

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 **Chapter 1**

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Frost crunched under the dark, smoky gray she-cat's paws, though the sound was as quiet as a whisper. Leaf-bare this season was harsh, and she could feel the iciness of it as it seeped up through her paw pads and chilled her to the bone.

Her prey crouched with its back to her, digging around in the snow, its wild pale gray fur sticking up in all directions. For only a moment, envy crawled through her sleek pelt like ants, though she flicked an ear to get rid of the feeling and focus on her original task.

Her heart beat faster as excitement bubbled through her veins, making her want to charge forward. _Wait, S_ he commanded herself, steeling her legs to keep from pouncing too early. _Not yet…_

 _Now!_

She pounced, landing on its back and curling her claws into its fur to stay on as it let out a cry of surprise and jumped underneath her. "Gotcha!" She growled triumphantly, though the next second she was thrown off its back and into a pile of snow with a _woomph_.

Just as she was about to climb out, something plowed into her side and sent the two of them rolling in a tangle of dark and pale gray fur and flailing legs over the snow.

When they tumbled to a stop, she found herself pinned under the tom she had targeted before. His large front paws pushed into her shoulders and left her feeling breathless.

"Thought you had me, didn'tcha Coal?" Winter meowed playfully, his chest puffed out as he stood over her.

Coal glared at him, but couldn't help but be drawn into his cheerful aura. "Yeah, especially the part where you were squealing like a little kit." She purred in amusement at his hurt expression, getting over her frustration at being beaten. "Now get off me you overgrown fuzzball."

Winter's ears flicked back in indignation as he stepped off her, "I do not _squeal_."

She was about to retort when a voice called over to them. "Winter! Coal! Come over here you two!"

Coal glanced over at her litter-mate as an idea sprang into mind, then burst into a sprint, throwing up snow behind her. "Race you!" She called over her shoulder, eyes glittering.

"Hey!" Winter yelled as he tore after her, though unlike Coal's sleek coat, he was weighed down by his thick, snow-clogged fur. And she found she no longer felt envious of his pelt.

As she ran, a small red-brown figure caught her eye and she looked over at her other litter-mate who was pressed up against the side of a pretty white-and-gray she-cat, shivering violently from the cold.

Streak was the weakest of the three of them and often stayed beside Tinsel when Coal and Winter would run off to play. She never really understood his timidness, so they weren't as close as Winter and herself.

Coal reached Tinsel first, skidding to a stop in front of them, sending snow flying in every direction. "I win!" She exclaimed proudly, raising her chin as Winter stumbled towards her, breathing heavily from the run.

"Next...time, I'll win...you'll see." He gasped, sending a pointed look her way, which she returned with a confident grin.

"Just look at you two!" Tinsel said in exasperation, and Coal looked down at herself. Her normally sleek fur was sticking up in clusters and frost hung from strands of fur.

She then peered over at Winter, whose naturally disheveled fur looked even more wild with large clumps of snow in its midst. "Rowanheart will be here any moment and you two look like you've been through a snowstorm." Tinsel shook her head, but her whiskers twitched in amusement. "A good bath will fix you right up."

That was the last thing Coal wanted to do, letting out a _mrrow_ of complaint as Tinsel started to clean her with swift licks of her tongue, but soon her fur was snow-free and shiny. _I suppose I want to look good when Rowanheart comes..._ She tried to convince herself, though somewhat grumpily.

"There we go." Tinsel meowed happily as she looked down at her and Winter, who looked ridiculous with tufts of his fur held down by spit. Coal giggled at his appearance and received a grumpy eye roll in return.

"W-when will Rowanheart g-get here?" Streak's frail voice shook as he looked up at Tinsel with droopy copper eyes.

"Yeah, the moon's been out for awhile now." Coal added. It's been quite some time since Rowanheart visited, and she couldn't wait to see him again. _I want to show him my hunting crouch. Maybe this time he'll say I'm good enough..._ She thought, her tail flicking in excitement and anticipation.

"Soon." Tinsel answered, her voice soft, though it was clear she was just as thrilled as her kits to see her mate.

No sooner were the words out of her maw before there was a light scratching at the wooden fence that surrounded their twoleg's nest.

Coal turned toward the sound, unintentionally holding her breath as she waited. Then as a pair of paws thumped on the ground on their side of the fence and a familiar striped pelt came into view, she jumped up, nearly knocking Winter over in her haste.

"Rowanheart!" Coal meowed, eyes wide and gleaming as he came closer. "You're here!"

The handsome tom chuckled in amusement as he bent down to touch noses with Coal and her litter-mates before brushing his cheek against Tinsel's. "Yes, I'm here."

"How is it out there?" Tinsel asked quietly, but Coal could still hear them as she and Winter hopped around Rowanheart's paws.

Rowanheart sighed as he looked back towards the fence, and Coal paused in her excitement at the tone of his voice. "Rough. The prey has gone into hiding and there are fewer kits and apprentices than ever. But," he continued, looking back at Tinsel, his eyes filled with conviction as he spoke, "we're getting though it, just like the other leaf-bares."

Tinsel looked at him with concern, but seemed to hold back her other concerns. "As long as you're safe, then that's all I care about."

"Rowanheart! Rowanheart!" Coal meowed suddenly, jumping between them. She wasn't going to sit there and let them talk the night away.

"What is it?" He asked, looking down at her, his tail flicking lightly in amusement.

"Watch this!" She said excitedly and hopped away, immediately lowering herself into a hunting crouch; her belly close to the ground, her tail stiff and unmoving, and her ears perked as she slowly and quietly crept toward an invisible target.

"Me too!" Winter said, before rearing up on his hind legs and swatting at an invisible opponent, his claws gleaming in the moonlight that filtered down through the thick clouds.

"I see you've been practicing." He purred loudly, pride thick in his voice.

"Um..." Streak spoke up from Tinsel's side, and Coal looked over at him curiously. He peered up at Rowanheart before lowering his eyes to his paws. "I...I'm not as strong as the others…I c-can't...I can't do what they can d-do."

Rowanheart bent his head down until he was eye level to the tiny kit. "You may not be yet, but you'll grow stronger. Just you wait." He said firmly, causing Streak too look up at him again and nod, his eyes seeming a bit brighter than before.

"All of you are going to make great warriors one day." Rowanheart meowed steadily, his copper eyes glittering as he watched them.

Coal flicked her tail excitedly. "Does that mean you're taking us with you this time?"

"Yeah, you said when we grew older we could go with you. We're already five moons old!" Winter jumped in, his ice blue eyes hard and determined.

At that moment, Rowanheart looked extremely uncomfortable as he glanced over at Tinsel, who sighed and shook her head. "Well...you see...it's going to have to be a little longer before I can take you."

"But..." Coal's tail dropped onto the snow dejectedly. _But you said so..._

Winter didn't say anything, he just watched Rowanheart with the same crestfallen eyes.

"Look, I know what I said, but now isn't a good time. Once the grass fully returns, then I will take you. I promise." Rowanheart tried to convince them, and deep down Coal knew that what he was saying was true, but it was hard to take in.

Over at Tinsel's side, Streak let loose a yawn that shook his entire body and would have tipped him over if Tinsel's tail hadn't swept up beside him and braced him against her hind leg.

"All right you two, time for bed." Tinsel spoke up, and Rowanheart sent her a grateful look. The queen stood and with a sweep of her tail, gathered Coal and her litter-mates and started to herd them towards their two-leg nest.

"No!" Coal dug her claws into the frozen ground, but she could feel her legs start to go numb from the cold and exhaustion. "I want to stay with Rowanheart!"

Rowanheart gave her a sad smile as he looked down at her before lowering his head. He rested his nose on her forehead, his voice deep and calming. "Don't worry, I'll always come back my little warrior." His copper eyes glittered as he pulled away. "Listen to Tinsel now, and go to bed. I'll be back before you know it."

Coal nodded in defeat and retreated back to Tinsel and her litter-mates, who were leaning against each other to stay upright.

Though just as they got halfway to the nest, a furious hiss sounded behind them. Coal looked over her shoulder to see Rowanheart's form stiffen and his fur bristle before he twisted around towards them. The intense look in his eyes sent chills up her spine, though it was his words that froze her entire body. "Run, hurry! Hide!"

 _Run?_ She thought. _Hide from what?_

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 **and now i leave you to begin to hate my existence as a writer c:**

 **haha, well thanks for reading! and please review~! ^-^**


	3. Chapter 2

**i don't think you understand just how excited i got when i saw that first review, like, it was beautiful, thank you so much x3**

 **i got so excited that I just had to sit myself down and write the next chapter then and there, so here you go~!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

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She didn't get the chance to see what happened.

Tinsel quickly scooped them up, shoving them deep into the bush closest to them. The bush was a hardy thing, and still had most of its leaves to ward off the snow, but despite that, the three kits still had to huddle together for warmth as Tinsel backed away, pushing snow in front of the tiny hollow. "No matter what you hear, you need to stay quiet. Not a peep, ok?"

Coal and her litter-mates nodded with wide eyes as Tinsel gave them one last strained smile before completely covering up the hole.

All was silent.

Coal shivered, and snuggled closer into Winter's thick pelt. She was close enough to feel all their heartbeats, beating frantically in fear and confusion. What was going on? Why did they have to hide?

Coal opened her mouth, but clenched it together as a faint scraping sound drifted through the branches of their bush. She needed to stay quiet, like Tinsel said.

Suddenly, several yowls broke through the still silence, and all three kits flinched. Streak squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face deeper into Winter's fur. He was shaking even more than he was earlier, and a pang of worry coursed through her and she glanced over at Winter, but the tom was too busy staring at the opening of the bush with wide eyes.

The cries and yowls and hisses never seemed to stop, and at one point there was a loud thumping sound right in front of the opening, which caused all three kits to jump and quake even more.

She didn't know how long it all lasted, but the noises slowly died off, and the only thing she could hear was their labored breathing, and her own pounding heart.

She swallowed nervously and looked over at Winter, who was still stiff and wide-eyed, and then at Streak, who seemed to have passed out from fear.

After a few moments of silence had passed, she untangled herself from the other two and walked with shaky legs to the pile of snow that separated them from the rest of the world.

"Coal, stop!" Winter hissed behind her, his voice quiet and trembling.

She didn't. _I need to know if they're okay._

She began digging out of the snow, but stopped when something big blocked her way.

"Coal, please. We should wait until Tinsel and Rowanheart come." Winter pleaded again.

"They would have come by now." She growled, trying to climb over the thing that was in her way.

"Maybe they're chasing what ever it was away." He said, but it sounded as if he was trying to convince himself of that as well.

With a grunt, she pulled herself over the barrier and pushed away the snow until she could see outside the bush.

It was snowing.

"Rowanheart?" She called quietly, eyes squinting against the white fluff. There was red everywhere. It coated the snow and made the crisp air clogged with a thick scent that made her gag.

"Tinsel?" She stepped forward, but her paws slipped out from under her and she fell, tumbling head over paws before landing in something wet and sticky.

She blinked gazing down at her herself, which was covered in the same redness that was soaked into the snow. Grimacing she looked up, and stiffened.

The once-beautiful white fur which had been so warm and so soft, was now coated in the sticky redness. It came from a slash in the she-cats neck, and from where she crouched, huddled against the cold chest, she could see the lifeless blue eyes that once held so much love for her and her litter-mates.

Her mind went blank. All she could do was remain still as she gazed into those empty eyes, refusing to believe the truth that stared her in the face.

"Tinsel?"

It came out as a squeak, muffled by the falling snow that began to coat both Tinsel and herself, sending chills all through her body.

She didn't care.

"Tinsel?" She tried again, dragging her numb body closer to the she-cat until she was pressed against the red-coated white fur of her chest. Finding a spot free of the red, she buried her nose deep into the thick fur, but the familiar scent was faded, replaced by a coldness that squeezed at her heart.

There was no telling how long she stayed there, crouched against Tinsel's unmoving form, but before long she fell into the dark embrace of sleep.

.

"ShadowClan scum! Who do they think they are, invading RiverClan territory like that!"

"Hush, Gingerpaw." Flamewave growled, sending the apprentice a sharp look. "Go back to camp and tell Goldenstar that Ripplestep and myself will be investigating the matter."

Gingerpaw huffed, her white and ginger spotted pelt fluffing out against the cold. "But I-"

"Now."

The apprentice hissed, but turned and raced back towards the camp, leaving Flamewave and Ripplestep to watch after her retreating form.

"Where do you think they're going?" The light brown tabby she-cat asked beside him as they started after the retreating forms of the ShadowClan cats.

"If I remember right, Twolegplace lies in that direction."

"I wonder why they need to go there." Ripplestep thought aloud as they bounded through the snow.

Flamewave remained silent, eyes trained on the distant form of the cats ahead of them. He was also curious, but he kept his thoughts to himself as they ran.

.

By the time the two cats reached Twolegplace, the ShadowClan cats had disappeared, but it wasn't hard to track their prints through the snow.

"There." Ripplestep said, pointing towards a fence a couple of nests down. The paw prints led up to it, then reappeared a ways off, along with a spattering of blood that vanished into the forest.

The two cats were silent as they padded up to the fence and shared a look, before jumping up and crawling over the wall.

A slight gasp escaped from the she-cat beside him, and Flamewave narrowed his eyes at the view that greeted them.

Blood and bodies littered the ground, but they were slowly getting covered up by the falling snow.

He started towards the first body that rose out of the ground and sniffed at it. It was one of the cats they had been following.

"Flamewave, I think...I think this is the deputy of ShadowClan."

The ginger tom looked up as his name was called and padded past another snow covered form to Ripplestep's side.

He peered down, taking in the reddish-brown tabby coat and the handsome features splattered with blood. The strange thing was that he smelled of ShadowClan blood, and it wasn't kittypet bodies he was surrounded with. Was he fighting his own warriors?

Flamewave nodded once. "It's Rowanheart."

A shudder passed through the she-cat beside him and he glanced at her. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I just...I don't like it here, it doesn't feel right."

He blinked, turning his attention on the dark twoleg nest that loomed over them. It was empty, which was good for them he supposed, but it still made the entire scene gloomy and dark.

He continued toward the next body, another ShadowClan warrior. His blue eyes roamed over the wounds. They were sloppy, but had been fierce enough to kill. So this one was felled by a kittypet then.

"Do you hear that?" Ripplestep whispered beside him and he perked his ears, lifting his head to gaze around the clearing.

His eyes locked onto a bush, where a small, almost unnoticeable cry was heard.

He padded forward, and Ripplestep hesitated for a moment before following, her pale green eyes wide. He stopped just in front of the white mound, which he realized after a second glance was a kittypet, and peered over the body and into a small hollow.

A young tom, who couldn't be much younger than six moons, was mewling. His ice-blue eyes were foggy, and he looked like he could barely remain conscious. He was curled around another, smaller form, but the red-brown tabby seemed deathly still.

Flamewave latched his paws around the white-and-gray she-cats back and heaved the body away from the bush, allowing Ripplestep to reach in and drag out the pale gray kit, who had finally passed out.

"The other one?" He asked, but Ripplestep merely shook her head, eyes downcast as she licked the small kit roughly, trying to get warmth back into the small thing.

"Let's get back then, and see if Minnowfin can do anything for the kit."

Ripplestep nodded and picked the kit up, padding quickly towards the fence.

He was about to follow when his eyes caught on a dark splotch beside the body he had moved earlier. He blinked as he made out the small form of a kit. It was covered with blood and snow, and at first he thought it was dead, but then its sides rose with a tiny shudder and he realized with a start it was still alive.

He reached forward and plucked the kit from the still body of the kittypet and hurried after Ripplestep, his eyes glancing once over the ShadowClan deputy's still form before he bunched his muscles and leaped on top of the fence, wobbling for a moment with the unfamiliar weight of the kit, before jumping down to the other side.

Ripplestep gave the kit in his mouth a curious glance before the two of them started back towards RiverClan, leaving the twolegplace and the death filled scene behind them.

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 **and remember, i love love _love_ to hear what you think**

 **seriously, it inspires me to write**

 **thanks for reading!** **see you next chapter~!** **^-^**


	4. Chapter 3

**and here's chapter 3, enjoy~ :3**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

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" _Don't worry, I'll always come back...my little warrior."_

With a jerk, Coal's eyes snapped open, her breaths coming in quick gasps and her heart beating wildly as she looked around, trying to figure out where she was.

Everything was unfamiliar. Tangled reeds enclosed the den except for two openings, and from the trickling sound coming from one she guessed it led to a water source of some kind. On the other side of the den, pebbles and hollows dug into the ground separated different kinds of plants and seeds that held no meaning for her. Her gaze roamed over to a nest of interwoven branches and moss. She looked down to realize she was in the same kind of nest. Strange. She didn't remember coming here. And where was _here_ exactly?

A groan nearly caused her to fall out of the nest in surprise as she twisted her head around, startled gaze landing on a familiar pale gray form.

"Winter!"

The tom let out an _oomph_ as Coal suddenly tackled him, relieved purrs shaking her entire body.

"Ow! Hey! What's the rush?" He grumbled, but stopped trying to push her off, and instead slumped over the side of the nest. He looked up then, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Where are we?"

Coal lifted her head, gazing around once more as if there was something new that might give her a clue. She tried to think back to when they got here, but her memories were a little fuzzy and she frowned. "I'm...not sure."

"Ah, you're awake." A speckled pale gray tom said simply, sticking his head into the den and making Coal and her brother nearly leap out of their pelts.

"Who are you?!" Coal hissed, dark gray fur fluffing out to appear larger. The cat in front of them was thin and gangly, and his blue-gray eyes stared at them, unimpressed by her display.

"You should be a little more grateful. I did save your lives after all." He sniffed, flicking his thin tail in what she guessed was agitation. "Oh well, you _are_ kittypets after all, so it's to be expected."

Coal bristled again, ready to say something to shut him up. To tell him that if kittypets were so bad, why was Tinsel such a strong and wonderful cat.

But then she stopped, horror and dismay flooding through her as memories of red snow and lifeless blue eyes filled her vision.

"My name is Minnowfin, by the way. I'm the medicine cat here in RiverClan." The tom continued, not even noticing her horror stricken form.

It was Winter who first realized something was wrong, his brows furrowing in concern. "Coal? Are you alright?"

She sucked in a sharp breath, then looked up sharply at the speckled tom, her eyes clouded with fear and words tumbled out of her with an intensity that caused the older cat's ears to flick back uneasily. "Tinsel, is she alright? There was a lot of blood, she was injured really badly. It was really cold and she didn't smell right and-"

"What's going on in here?" A new voice interrupted, and a ginger tabby tom with blue eyes pushed past the medicine cat, and peered down at the two kits. "Oh good, you're up."

Coal blinked at the new cat before narrowing her eyes and took a step towards him. "Where's Tin-"

"Questions will be answered later. Come on, Goldenstar wants to see you."

And with a flick of his tail he turned, not waiting to see if they followed as he padded out of the den.

Winter pressed up against her side, giving her a meaningful look as she glowered at the ginger toms back. "We should go." He said softly, nudging her with his nose, and she let out a frustrated sigh before following her litter-mate out of the den, silver eyes glued to the unfamiliar cat's back as if that could force answers out of him.

"So these are the kits, hm?" A feminine voice drawled ahead of them, and Coal lifted her eyes, blinking at the beautiful golden tabby she-cat that lounged in front of them on a nest that look much more comfortable than the one she and Winter had woken up in. Her yellow eyes roamed over them and Coal shuddered under the stare, disliking the she-cat immediately.

"These are the one's Ripplestep and myself picked up from the twolegplace, yes." The ginger tom affirmed, waving his flame colored tail over them.

Coal wanted to yell and hiss and demand where Tinsel and Rowanheart were, and why she and Winter were here instead of at their twoleg nest. But something in the golden she-cats eyes had her rooted to the spot, and she clenched her jaw in irritation.

"And you think we should let a couple of kittypets into the clan?" There was something that sounded so degrading in her voice, that made Coal unsheathe her claws and dig them into the dirt under her paws.

The tom didn't look very offended though, as if he were used to the mocking tone that was casually thrown out of the golden she-cats mouth. He remained silent, as if he already knew that was what she wanted.

"The clan could use a few more kits, I suppose." She said after awhile, gazing down and inspecting her unsheathed claws. "Cinderfrost is the only one with a kit at the moment, and he doesn't seem very promising." Her eyes raked over them and Coal squashed down the urge to press into Winter's side. "These two on the other paw..."

Goldenstar nodded to herself, as if answering her own question before she languidly got to her paws. "Very well, I'll call the clan for a meeting and we'll make them officially into RiverClan kits." She started towards the entrance of the den before pausing and looking back at their baffled faces. "What are your names by the way."

Coal shook herself out of her stupor and growled. "What are you talking about? We want to find Tinsel and Rowanheart and Streak, not join your clan!" With a pang, she only then realized that the small, sickly kit was also missing.

"My name's Winter, and this is Coal." Winter butted in suddenly, as if afraid her outburst would start a storm. Coal sent him a glare. Even if he was only trying to help this crazy she-cat didn't need to know their names.

Though even with his input, Goldenstar's face twisted into an ugly look, causing Coal and Winter to shrink back slightly with wide eyes before the she-cat smoothed it out with a small, tight smile. "There's no need for you to look for them." She stated simply, flicking her tail as if the words that were spilling out of her mouth had no consequence on the kits what-so-ever. "They're dead."

Winter sucked in a sharp gasp beside her, and her own mind seemed to go blank as she stared at the she-cat in front of her. Was...was she telling the truth? _Are they really…?_

The flame colored tom glanced at them with what could have been sympathy, but she was too busy mulling over the information she was just presented with, silver eyes glassy as she stared at her paws. They couldn't be dead, they just couldn't.

But even as she tried to convince herself, the memory of Tinsel's cold fur and stale scent crept to the front of her mind and a low whine escaped her throat.

Beside her, Winter was stiff and unmoving, his eyes, liker her own, were clouded and unbelieving as he stared sightlessly into the air.

Without her realizing it, they had moved, and were now standing beside the ginger tom outside of the den and the golden she-cat leaped up onto a rock that jutted out over the clearing. Snow was drifting lazy down from thick gray clouds, but the snow didn't have much of a chance to settle in the clearing as the many cats tread over it on their way to do their daily things. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!" She called out, and several cats that had been lounging about the clearing immediately padded towards them, followed by more cats that poked their heads out of the reedy dens. Curious eyes stared at Coal and Winter until she felt like ants were crawling through her fur.

"While some of our warriors were on patrol, they discovered the kits you see before you now."

Several whispers started in the crowd of cats, and Coal eyed them warily, seeing as some of them shot her and Winter dangerous looks. She shivered, and it wasn't just from the cold.

"I have decided to let them join our clan."

At this, several voices rose above the others in dismay. "Why should we let them? They're outsiders, they don't belong here!"

"Quiet!" Goldenstar demanded, and the cats slowly quieted, but their disgruntled and furious looks remained. "As you have noticed, Cinderfrost is the only queen at the moment, and we only have three apprentices. For RiverClan the remain strong in the future, more warriors are necessary."

After that the grumbling lowered a considerable amount, and with a pleased expression she turned to face them. "Now...Coal and Winter, step forward."

Coal glanced at her litter-mate, who still seemed pretty shaken up as he complied wordlessly, padding forward with Coal at his tail as they stopped before the leader.

"Winter, from this moment on, until you receive your apprentice name, you will be known as Winterkit." She turned her golden gaze on Coal and the young she-cat stiffened as she realized what was happening. "And Coal, from this moment on, until you receive your apprentice name, you will be known as Coalk-"

"Wait!" Coal cried out, jumping to her paws. Goldenstar narrowed her eyes as she was interrupted and the other cats started whispering fiercely behind her.

"What is it?" The leader asked, her voice strained and from the twitch of her pelt Coal could tell she was irritated.

"I want to keep my name the way it is." She growled steadily, silver clashing with yellow as the two she-cats stared each other down.

"Very well." Goldenstar finally agreed through clenched teeth.

Coal nodded slowly, sitting back down next to her litter-mate. "What about you?" She hissed under her breath, but he merely shrugged, his icy blue eyes remained downcast.

"I don't mind, it's...it's a new beginning for us." He said softly, and she couldn't help but bristle. These names were given to them by Tinsel! How could he just let these RiverClan cats give him a new one so casually?

She was about to tell him off, when Goldenstar called out to the cats once more. "That is all, everyone go back to your duties."

She jumped off the rock as the cats departed and padded over to them, addressing the ginger tom beside them. "I expect you to take care of the rest, Flamewave." She sent one last scathing look at Coal before turning, and walking gracefully back to her den.

"Come on then," he said with a flick of his tail, "I'll show you to your den."

* * *

 **thanks for reading, see you next chapter~! ^-^**


	5. Chapter 4

**you guys are just wonderful, i hope you know that c:**

 **enjoy~**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

As they padded past several cats, she could feel their scornful and prying gazes drilling into her back, but there was one particular set of eyes that made her fur prickle, and she lifted her head to look for the source.

She started to pull her lips back into a snarl, but froze when her eyes caught the stare of a large tom amidst the parting crowd of cats, partially hidden in the shadow of one of the dens.

The sheer intensity behind those yellow eyes was far deeper and more complex than the shallow disgust of the others, and it caused a shiver to run up her spine.

For the first time since she and her litter-mate arrived in RiverClan, true fear slithered through her like a snake, wrapping around her heart and lungs, squeezing until she felt as if she would faint if she didn't look away.

So she did.

She growled low in her throat, and with a lash of her tail hurried to catch up with Winterkit who had stopped when noticing her pause and was watching her with worried eyes.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, turning to continue following Flamewave when she reached him.

"Nothing." She snapped, then at the hurt look on his face she sighed, her voice softening. "Everything's fine, stop worrying."

His blue eyes watched her for a moment before a hesitant smile twitched at his mouth. "That's kind of impossible, you know."

She rolled her eyes, flicking his flank fondly with her tail before Flamewave stopped in front of them, nearly causing Coal to run into his haunches.

The older tom didn't seem to notice her glower as he stepped toward a den that looked more reedy than the others. _More protected from the weather._ She noticed silently, her eyes pausing on little glittering things sticking out of the reeds.

Before she could ask what they were, a furious yowl exploded from the den, and Coal peered around Flamewave's legs to spot a hissing mad she-cat with long silvery-gray fur.

"I WILL _NOT_ LET THOSE KITTYPETS ANYWHERE NEAR MY NEST."

"Then move to a new one further away." Came the ginger tom's even reply, which only infuriated the queen more.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! MY KIT AND I WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE OUTSIDERS, FIND SOMEONE ELSE'S NEST TO DROP THEM INTO."

Coal's ears were started to hurt from all the yelling and she flicked them back against her head, her paws itching for her to run away from all this madness. Oh, how badly she wanted to. But she couldn't leave Winterkit behind. He was all that she had left, she realized with a pang, and she would do anything for him. Even if it meant dealing with insufferable, narcissistic leaders and screeching queens.

But that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Goldenstar wants them to stay in the nursery, and they will, with or without your consent."

Despite the spittle that flew out of the she-cat's mouth, Flamewave's expression stayed the same, but Coal thought she heard his voice grow a little harder.

With a frustrated hiss, Cinderfrost whipped around, stomping back into the den.

The older tom turned to them, his tail twitching towards the opening. "There. Get yourselves settled."

And then he left, stalking back through the snow before disappearing into Goldenstar's den.

"That's it!?" She seethed in disbelief, staring after the warrior. "He's not going to tell us where everything is? What the rules are? Just: 'Get yourselves settled'!?"

Winterkit shrugged, his eyes wandering over the clearing, which was starting to empty as cats wandered back to their dens. "Maybe the other cats will help us out."

She doubted that very much, but the snow was started to nip harshly at her nose and she huffed. "Lets go inside, my nose will fall off at this rate."

Winterkit nodded, a relieved look crossing his features as he padded in at her side, his fur brushing against her own comfortingly as a pair of unwelcoming eyes glared from the furthest corner of the den.

"Don't even try to come back here. Stay away from us."

"Gladly." She muttered under her breath as her litter-mate gave a mute nod, and the two of them climbed into a nest closer to the opening. The draft was terrible, but she had Winter to curl up with, and it was much better than finding one closer to the queen, who would sooner claw off their ears than let them near.

Wait... _us_?

She peered over at the ill-tempered queen, who had her back to them, and spotted a pair of pale green eyes staring right back at her.

She jumped slightly, but Winterkit was already fast asleep and didn't notice. He must have been more tired than she thought.

The green eyes tried to maneuver around the queen, and she made out its small white form.

But this one didn't just seem small, but also frail and twig-like.

 _Like Streak._

Coal snapped out of her reverie as the queen growled, pulling the kit back towards her by it's tail. "Don't go near them Whitekit, they're outsiders...and they probably have fleas."

"But-"

"No buts. I don't want you going near them at all, you hear me? Now go to sleep."

Her teeth ground together as she turned away from the two, burying deeper into Winterkit's thick fur and tried to ignore them. She didn't have fleas! She didn't remember actually having fleas now that she thought about it. Their two-leg always made sure of that.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force the thick, cloying scent of blood out of her nose as the memory of that night resurfaced, and tried to focus on something else. But every time she tried imagining Tinsel, she saw the sightless blue eyes, and the ripped fur that stained her pretty white fur in red.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, curled tightly against her litter-mate as she battled with the dark memories, but eventually she fell into an uneasy sleep, the world fading away around her.

* * *

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	6. Chapter 5

**enjoy~ :3**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

 _Claws reached towards her, but she was trapped, unable to move as thick black water grasped at her paws, holding her in place._

" _No!"_

 _She struggled harder, but the water crawled slowly up her legs and towards her head._

" _Let me go!"_

 _Yellow eyes gleamed brightly in the dark, filling her vision as the claws drew closer and closer…_

 _._

"Coal!"

She woke with a start, gasping for breath as she caught sight of her litter-mate standing over her, having shaken her awake. Her body was wracked with tremors and she swallowed, fear slipping away as the yellow eyes and suffocating black water started to fade into nothing more than a bad dream.

"You were crying out in your sleep, and I didn't know what else to do."

Winterkit's voice has trembling, and she noticed then just how much she had scared him with her nightmare. Her heart twinged guiltily and she leaned forward, licking his cheek.

"I'm okay now, thanks Winter." Coal tried to smile at him, but it came out more like a grimace with the yellow eyes glowing faintly in her mind.

Her litter-mate didn't look very convinced, though his features relaxed a little bit and his fur flattened out.

"Could you two be any louder?" A sharp voiced hissed from the back of the den and the two kits jumped, staring over at the queen.

"Sorry," Winterkit apologized, lowering his head, "Coal had a nightmare and-"

"I don't care, get out before you wake up Whitekit!"

Coal glared back at the queen, _Winter shouldn't have to apologize!_ But Winterkit merely nodded and nudged her to her paws, leading her outside with a comforting brush of his pelt.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and a light fog was rolling across the frosted ground that crunched quietly under their paws. The camp was mostly silent, with the faint sound of snoring cats behind the den walls. The clearing was empty, and the two kits huddled together against a clump of reeds, seeking each others heat in the chilly morning.

They said nothing, content with the comfortable silence that surrounded them, and Coal took this chance just to be near her litter-mate without the harsh glares being sent towards them.

.

It wasn't long before cats started to wake and pad across the clearing to a little pile of dirt, and as she watched she realized they had buried prey under the ground to keep it from freezing.

Her stomach growled in complaint, and she drew closer to Winterkit as accusing stares were sent their way. She glared back at them, and the cats turned their back on the kits.

"Do you want to see if there's anything to eat?" Winterkit asked, flicking his tail towards the pile of dirt.

Coal looked warily at the warriors before she nodded, and the two got to their paws, padding swiftly, but carefully towards the pile.

It wasn't very full, just a couple fish and a scrawny vole, but at the sight of food her stomach let loose another rumble.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Coal whipped around at the voice, looking up into the narrowed eyes of a thin brown and white tom.

"We were just looking for some food is all." Winterkit meowed beside her, and despite his calm demeanor, his voice shook the tiniest bit.

"That food is for hardworking RiverClan cats only, not for kittypet scum like you two."

Coal bristled at the tom's words, though before she could say anything, another cat jumped in.

"Oh come _on_ Frogleap, they're just kits, stop being so stingy and let them eat." A mottled black and white she-cat meowed lightly, her pale green eyes twinkling as she stepped up to them.

Coal felt Winterkit stiffen beside her and she glanced at him curiously, but his eyes were fixated on the she-cat.

"But Pebbleskip they-"

"Winterkit and Coal, right?" Pebbleskip cut him off with a flick of her tail, ignoring the older tom as she turned her attention on them.

Frogleap hissed angrily before whirling around and stalking off towards a small group a cats several tail-lengths away.

"Uh...yeah, Winterkit and Coal, that's us, yup." Winterkit stumbled awkwardly over his words, and Coal sent him a sharp look. Why was he acting so squirrel-brained? This wasn't the litter-mate she knew.

"Don't mind the furrball over there, he's just upset Goldenstar let you two kittypets into the clan." Pebbleskip meowed lightly, not seeming to know or care that her words could be taken the wrong way.

Coal watched her with hard silver eyes, but the older she-cat didn't appear to have any malice in her gaze, and Winterkit didn't seem affected by her words at all.

"Isn't everyone?" Coal muttered sourly, turning back to the prey pile and snagging the vole in her maw. "Lets go Winter, we can share this."

Her litter-mate didn't seem to hear her, still watching the she-cat with starry eyes as she pranced away towards another group of cats. Coal rolled her eyes, poking him hard in the ribs and making him jump. "W-what?"

"Let's eat, I'm starving." Coal said again, but this time Winterkit nodded, following Coal back to the little cluster of reeds.

The vole was stringy and tough, but it tasted wonderful as she and Winterkit scarfed it down. She was reminded when Rowanheart brought them a few mice when he visited during green-leaf. Those were the first pieces of fresh-kill she and her siblings had ever eaten, and she could recall just how delicious it tasted.

"Psst!"

Coal jumped, nearly falling over as she whipped her head around to stare at the clump of reeds behind them. Her wide eyes were met with pale green as the small white muzzle of a kit pushed through the reeds, and she remembered the scrawny kit from the night before.

"It's you!" Winterkit exclaimed beside her, blinking in surprise at the young tom's appearance.

Whitekit grinned, "Follow me, I don't want Cinderfrost to see me talking with you guys."

Coal glanced at her litter-mate, who shrugged and followed the white kit into the reeds. She hesitated for a moment, then sighed and padded after them.

The gurgle of water grew louder until she popped out of the other side and laid her eyes on the river that flowed lazily by a few pawsteps in front of her. Ice clung to the riverbank, but the middle was untouched and freely flowing.

Coal glanced around until she found the two toms and headed over. "Won't you get in trouble for talking to us?" She asked guardedly, looking over her shoulder back towards the reeds that hid them from the camp. She could just imagine the spouting silver queen bursting out of the reeds and yowling at them.

"Not if we're found out."

Coal blinked at him, and now that she could see the kit fully, she could make out the pale grey stripes that ran up his legs before fading into his white coat. Streak's red-brown tabby pelt flashed in her eyes and she shook her head with gritted teeth. Streak was gone. He wasn't coming back. So why was she torturing herself like this?

Whitekit stared at her curiously before a smile grew on his face. "You guys wanna play a game?"

"A game?" Winterkit asked, but from his bright eyes she could tell he was hooked.

The tom nodded, grinning. "Have you guys played pebble pounce before?"

Coal and Winterkit looked at each other, then at Whitekit with a shake of their heads.

"It's pretty simple," he started, padding over to where a pebble stuck up out of the dirt and pried it out before returning and dropping it at his paws, "All you have to do, is pounce on the cat holding the pebble."

Coal tilted her head to the side. "What about the one holding the pebble?"

"They try to evade the others at all costs." Whitekit meowed, bending down to pick up the pebble in his jaws.

It did seem simple, like he said, and for the first time in a long while, she felt excitement prickle at her paws and she kneaded the ground in anticipation. The white tom wasn't very big, both she and Winterkit were larger than him, so she assumed it wouldn't be too hard to pounce on the smaller kit.

All of a sudden, Whitekit shot off, his small frame sprinting down the reedy bank.

Coal gawked in surprise before bounding after him, Winterkit not far behind. Though despite the fact they were much stronger and faster than the other kit, Whitekit managed to outsmart them by twisting around their paws and darting cleverly around the reeds.

An amused purr rumbled in her chest as Winterkit tried to pounce on the other tom, only to get a mouth-full of dirt as Whitekit flitted to the side with deft paws. Though the kit slipped on a loose pebble and she saw her chance.

In a split second she pounced, crashing into the smaller kit and making them tumble into Winterkit as he tried to get to his paws, sending all three of them into a tangled furry pile.

They looked at each other with wide eyes, and laughter burst out of them.

"That was-" Coal started, but was cut off as another bout of giggles bubbled out of her, sending her into another fit. She couldn't remember having this much fun since that night, but she refused to dwell on those thoughts when she was finally feeling light-hearted after so much sulking.

"Yeah!" Winterkit agreed breathlessly, icy-blue eyes sparkling.

The scrawny tom grinned, but there was something sad behind his eyes. "I used to play with Duskpaw, but he became an apprentice around a moon ago and he doesn't have to time for me anymore. At least, that's what he says anyways."

"Well, you have us now." Coal said, flicking her tail across his flank with a light smile, and Winterkit nodded firmly at her side.

"Let's play that game again, but this time I get to have the pebble."

"Sure!" Whitekit purred, about to push the pebble towards the larger tom before a loud cry echoed across the camp.

"WHITEKIT?! WHITEKIT WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Coal felt her good mood start to sour as the young tom sent them an apologetic look.

"I better go," he sighed, then stood with a small smile. "we can play again next time."

Coal and Winterkit nodded, watching sadly as their new friend disappeared into the reeds, leaving them alone with the gurgling sound of the river at their backs.

* * *

 **it seems they've finally found a cat or two that doesn't despise their existence! yay!**

 **and was that a crushing Winter i just saw? ;3**

 **i wonder just how many more cats they'll encounter in the future...**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


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